This is the third Random Weekend appearance of a song from Green Day’s 2004 punk rock opera, American Idiot. While I enjoy the album, it’s telling that I have never posted about it deliberately but only through these random spins of the musical dial.
I’ve always appreciated this album more for the musical variety than the story, which I haven’t taken the time to fully comprehend. Today’s track introduces St. Jimmy, the alter ego of Jesus of Suburbia, and blah blah blah.
At some point this year, Lana Del Rey will release her sixth studio album, titled Norman Fucking Rockwell. Early word was March, but that clearly didn’t happen. Now it’s looking more like summer.
In the meantime, Del Rey keeps dropping tracks from the album. Today’s track is the fourth, although it is a live performance, not a studio recording. It was actually released back in October, after she performed it at an Apple event with Jack Antonoff on piano, but I missed it until now.
My last Billie Eilish song this week is the first track of hers I ever heard, and the one I still consider her best.
‘Bellyache’ is written from the perspective of a murderer who seems to be regretting her actions. Eilish has said the lyrics are a metaphor for anytime we do something for reasons we can’t entirely explain.
I’ll make up for the lack of Billie Eilish on my blog to date by featuring a couple of her earlier songs this week.
‘Ocean Eyes’ was her breakthrough track, in that it took her from complete anonymity to viral success and a recording contract. This dreamy ballad was written by her brother Finneas O’Connell for his band (the members of which must hate him now). Eilish recorded it to serve as the soundtrack for a dance routine she was preparing for school. She was 14 years old.
My older daughter Sophia credits me with exposing her to many of the musicians and songs she loves. But the feeling is mutual. I have encountered plenty of great music through her suggestions, or by hearing the songs drifting out of her bedroom or soundtracking her Instagram stories.
A great example is Billie Eilish, whom Sophia first started listening to a couple of years ago before the release of the Don’t Smile at Me EP. She particularly loved the song ‘Bellyache,’ which I was convinced I had already included on the blog, but apparently not. I’ll do that soon.
Meet Me In Montauk 